New Delhi: Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari’s exclusion from Punjab’s newly shaped parliamentary election committee has reignited controversy over what’s seen as a punitive transfer by the get together excessive command in opposition to an articulate and pro-independence chief. On Tuesday, the get together constituted varied committees for the upcoming state meeting elections. Three-term lawmaker Tewari’s identify was not on the record.
Tewari received from Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab in 2009 and 2019 and was transferred to Chandigarh constituency for the 2024 elections. Congress leaders blamed his exclusion on the truth that he at present represents Chandigarh, a Union territory, however get together officers debunked this and maintained that the town stays the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
“We didn’t count on Manish to play a major position within the Punjab elections. What was humiliating was that Rahul Gandhi had invited many leaders from Punjab for talks about 10 days in the past, however he didn’t suppose something of it.” It might be helpful to ask a two-term MP from Punjab who has been an MP for 45 years,” a senior Congress chief advised ThePrint.
He mentioned Tewari, like Shashi Tharoor, had paid the worth for being invited by the federal government to be a part of the multiparty delegation for international assist after Operation Sindoor. “Rahul Gandhi is indignant with them for that purpose,” one other Congress official asserted.
Tewari posted a cryptic message on X on Thursday. “I want there was an antidote to non-public and organizational nervousness! That mentioned, @INCIndia has given us lots for the previous 45 years and I’ve devoted my total grownup life to the service of the Indian Nationwide Congress for many years. It doesn’t matter what occurs…”
To the shock of many within the get together, Tewari, a everlasting invitee on the Congress Working Committee (CWC), has been a lifelong Gandhi household loyalist. It was Indira Gandhi who appointed him Nationwide Secretary of NSUI earlier than Rajiv Gandhi promoted him to Basic Secretary after which President. He was the longest-serving NSUI president from 1986 to 1993. In 1998, Sonia Gandhi appointed him the president of the Indian Youth Congress.
Tewari grew to become one of many get together’s loudest and most seen voices as nationwide spokesperson earlier than becoming a member of Manmohan Singh’s authorities as data and broadcasting minister. The get together has modified the Lok Sabha constituencies from Ludhiana to Anandpur Sahib after which Chandigarh. He was elected each time and wrested the UT seat from the BJP in 2024.
The BJP was fast to pay attention to the difficulty.
BJP nationwide basic secretary Tarun Chugh claimed that this remedy of Tewari mirrored the Congress’s “full capitulation” to the Gandhi-Vadla household.
“The ability battle within the Congress is not between sturdy leaders, however between the Parikramavadi and the Maha Parikramavadi, as a result of all of the Parakramavadis have already left the get together. Advantage, integrity and unbiased considering have turn into a debt to the Congress. It’s time for Manish Tewari to know that right now’s Congress rewards solely those that have carried out parikrama, particularly the Gandhi Vadra household. Advantage, integrity and unbiased considering have turn into a debt to the Congress. The Congress has entered the period of ‘Chamcha Yug’. “The one path to promotion is blind loyalty to at least one household,” he mentioned, accusing the Congress of valuing loyalty over skill in X.
The Congress, however, maintains that the organizational reforms are aimed toward strengthening the electoral equipment forward of subsequent yr’s Punjab elections. Along with appointing three working presidents, the get together additionally constituted political affairs, election administration, marketing campaign, manifesto, public relations and coordination committees.
Underneath this reshuffle, the Congress retained Amarinder Singh Raja Walling as Punjab Congress president and Pratap Singh Bajwa as CLP chief, whereas appointing Sukhwinder Singh Dhani, Raj Kumar Verkha and Sangat Singh Girjian as working presidents. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been appointed because the Election Commissioner, Vijay Inder Singla because the Election Commissioner, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa because the Central Committee and Amar Singh because the Manifesto Chairman.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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